Dining review: Sir and Star keep it local and a tad cheeky

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By Christina Mueller, IJ correspondent

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

A restaurant named after Marin's curvy "Star Route" One and Sir Francis Drake, the Elizabethan explorer who circumnavigated the globe and whose name is sprinkled across seaward landmarks such as Drake's Bay, firmly anchors itself to rural Marin while casting a glance to the sea. So it is with Sir and Star, the new restaurant at the Olema Inn.

Wearing the tri-cornered hat of owners, managers and chefs, Margaret Gradé and Daniel DeLong, familiar to many Marinites for their tenure in the kitchen at Manka's Inverness Lodge, purchased the inn last year, then set about remaking the space with their signature, resolutely local touch.

"Margaret started buying everything off the back of farmer's trucks more than 20 years ago," DeLong says. "She established the culture of buying direct from farmers." That includes the wines.

Except for champagne — "one of life's essentials," according to the menu — the 40-plus bottle list features only wines fashioned from Marin grapes, such as the McNeil & Sons Redding Ranch Pinot Noir ($82) or Kendric Vineyards Viognier ($63), and wines made in Marin such as the Trek Dry Creek Valley Syrah ($52) or one of the Sean Thackrey Orion Rossi Vineyard Syrahs ($185 for a 2010 or $415 for a 1989). Beers are exclusively from Lagunitas Brewery ($5 to $10).

Marin wines find their way into the savory dishes. Crafted into delicate syrup, Sean Thackrey's Pleiades ($38) makes a cool foil for the faux gras of local duck livers ($12). The metallic tang of North Coast sea salt matches the metallic tang of the butter-enriched organ and it's hard not to agree with the menu; "so delicious it should be illegal."

Gradé and DeLong get playful with a Bolinas duck egg propped atop a bubble and squeak salad ($12). Yes, the bacon's there as well as plenty of black pepper for your egg, but the expected frisée gets replaced by a crunch of cabbage. Same with the Marin-sourced salmon ($12), smoked with Thackrey's discarded oak wine barrels and crowned with sprigs of agretti, a wild marsh succulent discovered in Bolinas by a foraging friend.

Menu descriptions, lyrical as they are, can require a few questions of your server. When the dish is called "a deep bow to Dave of Marin Sun Farm beef cooked around the clock and the bounty of Bolinas gardens," ($20) a girl needs a little guidance. Too bad that our server tired very quickly of the inquiries and asked after each question, "May I place that order for you?" This made the meal seem rushed and unfriendly. (The dish was beef cheeks braised for more than 24 hours with carrots and spring onions, and was as moist and tender as any prime cut.)

Luscious parts of local pig ($20) was belly brined for three days then braised in the brining liquid for 10 hours and turned into softly baked meatballs in a tangy-sweet sauce. A side of simply the best broccoli ($5) was just too sweet, though; DeLong says it has already been taken off the menu.

Inquire about almost any detail of the menu or the décor and the source will be Marin. The water glasses, dented with the familiar punt of a wine bottle, are crafted locally. The gnarly vines hanging from the wall lamps are not vines, but cleaned and dried Pterygophora californica, stalked or walking stick kelp common to Bolinas. The four-room restaurant boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the gardens, offset by cream walls and wide brown crown molding. Candelabras in each room and a huge fireplace in the front room add warmth. Freshly woven pussy willow branches, arched around doorways are a reminder of the season. Were it not for the butcher paper that dresses every table, you could be forgiven for thinking that Sir and Star at the Olema is the Downton Abbey of West Marin.

And that, in a sense is what Sir and Star is all about; an intensely local experience in a grand dame of a building, designed down to the last detail by the owner-manager-chefs to reflect their passion for place. The figurines on the hostess stand say it best: "We certainly are enamored with the Farmer Family." Can I get an amen?

Christina Mueller writes about food — restaurants, chefs, products and trends — for local and national publications as well as other industry clients. Send her an email at ij@christinamueller.com.

review

SIR AND STAR AT THE OLEMA

Address: 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. just east of Highway One, OlemaPhone: 663-1034Website: http://sirandstar.comCuisine: New American/coastal CalifornianService: ProfessionalNoise level: MediumRecommended items: Faux gras, smoked salmon, Bolinas duck egg, beef cooked around the clock, luscious parts of local pigLiquor selection: Marin-based wines and local beersCorkage: $20Heart-healthy and vegetarian selections: YesGluten-free selections: YesDog friendly: YesWheelchair access: Yes Parking: LotHours: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays to SundaysCredit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American ExpressPrices: All entrees are $20Reservations: Recommended; only accepted for Chefs Meal on SaturdaysSummary: Owner-manager-chefs Margaret Gradé and Daniel DeLong of Mankas Lodge have opened the aptly named Sir and Star at the Olema. Reverence for the agricultural bounty of Marin means just about everything here, from nearly every ingredient on the New American menu to the details of design.